There’s a reason why some cherished Netflix shows, namely “Altered Carbon”, “Sense8”, “Luke Cage”, and “The OA”, got cancelled after just 2 seasons.
If you’re a fan of any of the series, it’s nothing personal. For Netflix, they’re just not satisfied with the data.
Sad fans of the early-ended shows always put up tons of attempts to bring back their beloved series to life, but it normally fails. Other than “Sense8”, which got a proper finale to sum the series up, Netflix’s decision in axing a show is usually final.
According to IGN, the streaming platform isn’t trying to ruin anyone’s fun but has a list of metrics on which they decide to cancel or renew a show. One of the factors is viewership or retention rate, which is how many people actually finish a show after starting it.
“The biggest thing that we look at is, are we getting enough viewership to justify the cost of the series? We also look at other things: how beloved the fan community is, how social a title is. There are lots of other things that we look at that you all can also see out in the world. But we are deliberate and thoughtful, and there are a lot of things that go into the decision,” explained Netflix’s vice president of original programming Cindy Holland at a press tour in 2018.
In addition, the streaming platform tries to attract TV producers by giving them more money the longer a series goes on. Therefore, it’s financially safer for them to cancel a show that didn’t get the targeted amount of viewers.
“They have to give (a show) more money per series, and if they decide to recommission it, it becomes more expensive for them to make,” analyst Tom Harrington explains. He added that a Netflix show that is viewed by a majority of the platform’s subscribers is more ideal than the one with a dedicated fanbase, reported by Wired.
For example, big hitters like “House of Cards” and “Stranger Things” can bring in more viewers while keeping old ones. However, series like “Altered Carbon” and “The OA” doesn’t produce the same effect despite having passionate fans.
The next time you’re hooked on a Netflix series, let’s hope there’s enough viewers watching it from start to finish to avoid future upsets.
Sources: Wired, High Snobiety
